Pub slapped with zero food-hygiene rating

Score improvement: the Stocc Lodge has requested a rescoring for its food-hygiene rating

A market town pub has been awarded the lowest food-hygiene rating of zero and its standards were deemed to need major improvement.

The Stocc Lodge in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, received the rating when visited by inspectors from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council in September.

According to the Food Standards Agency website, the pub needed urgent improvement in the three areas inspected for food hygiene standards.

These were the hygienic handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage.

Incomplete records

The second area was the cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, including having appropriate layout, ventilation, hand-washing facilities and pest control to enable good food hygiene.

The third was the management of food safety involving a system or checks in place to ensure food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence staff know about food safety and the food safety officer has confidence standards will be maintained in the future.

A spokesperson for Stocc Lodge said: “The September hygiene report highlighted an number of issues, including those relating to record keeping, all of which have now been entirely rectified.

"The premises was voluntarily closed for four days, after which, the council revisited and gave the pub a clean bill of health.

"Another inspection is due to take place in December. The pub has an excellent new kitchen team in place, is immaculate and we are aiming for a top score in next month's inspection."

Top tips

Food safety issues can seriously damage a pub's reputation, but a five-star food-hygiene rating can improve it and The Morning Advertiser​​ looked at how this can be achieved.